Teller cage construction unit



y 9 6 J. W. C ALVERT 2,401,226

TELLER CAGE CONSTRUCTION UNIT Filed Aug. 3, 1943 John?! C'cglv gr t/ 36%! Qw Patented May 28, 1946 in p 2,401,226"

UNITED" STATES;

. a. r 2,401,226 TELLER CAGEJGO'NSTRUCTION UNIT John W. Calverhwashington, Application August 3, 1943,"Serial"No.'497,231

4 Claims. route- 4 K This invention relates] to improvements in teller cage construction for banks and"other"fi-' nancial institutions where patrons or customers usually arrange themselves in lines in approaching the cage Window through which their busi-- ness with the teller is transacted.

One object of the invention is to provide a cage construction which Will' lend more privacy to the individual customers or patrons while transacting their financial affairs with the occupant'of the cage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cage unit which will compel patrons approaching the tellers window in a line to do so along a path disposed at an angle to the front wall of the cage, as distinguished from present-day practices of the customers forming a line along the front wall of the cage.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a cage unit having a front panel recessed to form a compartment which the patron at the tellers window must occupy, and associated with said recessed front panel are means fo preventing the patrons walking along the front of the cage which usually has a transparent upper section. Thus, by compelling the patrons to approach the window at an angle and by having each individual stand within the recessed portion of the front panel, patrons behind the individual who is engaged with the teller, cannot observe the transaction being disposed of by that particular individual.

Still another object is to provide means for apprehending and detaining an individual in the recess of the front panelor the so-called customers compartment, if such action is deemed proper by the teller or other official.

- With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the front of the present cage unit; and d Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View through the front panel on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

It will be understood that, While the present illustration consists of a single cage unit, any number of these units can be used in a battery or other suitable combinaion, depending upon the size or character of the institution in which they are installed.

Each unit comprises a front panel l having a verticalirecess I I therein intermediate-its ends; This recess; which might be termed" the'customers" compartment? is large'enough," but onl'y 'of sufiicient size, to accommodate one" person' at'a time. At each-sideofthis customers compartment' l't, preferably adjacent the ends of the front panel and extending-outwardly in iron-tot said panel, is a barricade or i obstruction which prevents customers approaching 1 the comparit ment' along the front panel oralong a line parai lel thereto; These obstructions?may take the form of postsla -semen spaced from one another and extending far enough in front of the cage to require the customers approaching and leaving the compartment along the lines a, b, respectively. If desired, the barricade may be eliminated from the departure side of the compartment, as persons who have left the compartment cannot later observe the transaction of the next person occupying, the compartment. Thus, the barricades serve two functions, First, they require approach and departure of patrons along lines which lend privacy to the person in the compartment, and, second, when there are a number of persons standing in line, approaching the compartment ll, the line is disposed at an angle to the cage, so that lines at juxtaposed cages cannot interfere with one another. In the absence of such barricades, the usual practice is for patrons to form in lines along the front wall of the cage and, Where these lines are comparatively long, they usually cause such confusion that attendants have to be present to maintain order.

Extending rearwardly from the front panel I0 is a counter I3 for the teller or other occupant of the cage, and the panel is provided with a window opening l4 above this counter for the transaction of business between the teller and patron. If desired, the upper portion of the panel above the counter may be, and usually is, made of glass. The total height of the panel is, of course, such as to prevent persons in front of the cage having access to the counter. the rear portion of the counter, indicated at H may be disposed at a lower level than the forward portion, and the breadth or depth of said forward portion may be such that persons in front of the counter cannot possibly reach the rear lower portion thereof.

In addition to the recessed compartment I I affording privacy for each successive occupant, it

may also be used for apprehending or detaining an occupant if such action is deemed necessary. For thi purpose, a closure plate I5 for the com- Also, if desired.

partment may be slidably housed within the front panel and movable across the front of the compartment, whereby a person within the compartment may not escape or leave the compartment until the plate I5 is retracted. This closure plate I5 is normally positioned within the front panel, but may be moved across the compartment by the teller or other official by suitable means under the control of the latter. For insance; there may be a fluid-actuated piston I6 connected to the closure and movable within a cylinder I1 to which the admission of actuating fluid may be controlled by a valve (not shown) which is readily accessible to the occupant of the cage.

What I claim is:

1. A bank tellers cage unit consisting of a front wall panel having an open-front customeraccommodating recess therein, means extending outwardly from said panel at opposite sides of aid recess preventing customers approaching and leaving said recess along lines parallel to said panel, said recessed portion of the panel having.

a window therein, and a counter extending rearwardly from said panel.

2. A bank tellers cage unit consisting of a front wall panel having an open-front customer accommodating recess therein, means extending outwardly from said panel at opposite side of said recess preventing customers approaching and leaving said recess along line parallel to said panel, said recessed portion of the panel having a window therein through which a customer oocupying said recess can converse with a teller in said cage, said recess being of to permit conversation by said customer to be in rivacy with respect to persons beyond the confines of said recess, and a counter extending rearwardly from said panel, said counter having u per and lower level surfaces with the lower level at the rear of the counter.

3. A bank tellers cage unit consisting of a front Wall panel having a vertical recess forming an open-front compartment for an individual customer, a window in the recessed portion of the panel through which a customer occupying said compartment can converse with a teller at the opposite side of said panel, and barricades extending outwardly from the panel at opposite sides of said compartment whereby customers may approach and leave said compartment only in lines at an angle to said panel, said barricades and the depth of said recess affording privacy to conversation between a person in the compartment and the teller.

4. A bank tellers cage unit consisting of a front wall panel having a vertical recess open at the front and constituting a compartment for an individual customer, a window in the recessed portion of the panel, and a barricade extending outwardly from the panel at the approach side of the compartment whereby customers can approach said compartment only along a line at an angle to said panel.

JOHN W. CALVERT.

sufiicient depth 

